Harley-Davidson Motorcycles on a Milwaukee Beach, Photographed in 1933 for a Beautiful Promotional Shoot

Harley‑Davidson introduced a unique, one‑year‑only paint scheme in 1933 that many consider the company’s finest.

To promote it, the brand brought a pair of new ’33 models to Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach for a sun‑and‑sand photo shoot featuring glamorous models.

h/t: vintag.es

Both bikes were equipped with 74‑inch sidevalve engines and hand‑shifted three‑speed gearboxes. Production that year was extremely low due to the Great Depression, with only 2,671 big twins built and 3,703 total units across all models.

The sidecar version shown in the shoot was especially rare, with just 164 produced. Although Harley hoped the bold paint job would boost sales, most of the photos were considered too provocative for advertising, and only one ultimately appeared on the cover of *The Enthusiast*.